JBAS Journals-Carbohydrate and Amino Acids Composition in Breast Milk of Lactating Mothers

Abstract

Breastmilk is a complex fluid, rich in nutrients and in non-nutritional bioactive components. This study investigated the amino acid and carbohydrate compositions in breast milk of mothers of different age groups from Rumuolumeni health center. Eighteen breast milk samples were collected from lactating mothers aged 16-45 years old. Amino acid content was analyzed with amino acid analyzer, while the carbohydrate content was analyzed with HPLC and data generated was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and presented as mean and standard deviation. Results showed that rabinose, maltose, and HMF levels for mothers of age 16-25 were significantly higher when compared with values for mothers of age 26-35 years. Raminose and glucose levels for mothers of age 36-45 were significantly higher (P≤0.05) when compared with values for mothers of other age groups. Young mothers had galactose value of 1.29 ppm while the values for middle and older aged mothers were 1.43 ppm and 1.39 ppm respectively. Values for the young mothers showed a significant decrease when compared with the other age groups. Results of amino acid composition showed that alanine, serine, proline, valine, threonine, lysine, glutamate, phenylalanine, histidine, arginine and tyrosine values for mothers of age 26-35 were higher than those of mothers of 16-25 and 36-45 years. Value for threonine (3.54 mg/100g), isoleucine (4.50 mg/100g), and lysine (4.54 mg/100g) for mothers of 36-45 years were significantly higher when compared with the values for mothers of age 16-25. The amino acid compositions of some were below the standard recommended by WHO/FAO in all age grades. While methionine and isoleucine values for age 36-45 years, cysteine, histidine and methionine values for mothers of 26-35 years and cysteine values for age 16-25 years were above the recommended standard.